Mooshie Gutz @mooshiegutz - Tumblr Blog

Burroughs Mountain // Mt. Rainier National Park

Hiked to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Burroughs last weekend at Mt. Rainier National Park.

Definitely was more difficult due to the sun and heat on Saturday - but the payoff was amazing. Once you reach Third Burroughs it is the closest I have ever been to Rainier - it looks like you can reach out and tough it in person.

Frozen Lake

Trail up to First Burroughs

Views from Second Burroughs

Views from the top of Third Burroughs

#MtRainier #Mt Rainier National Park #nationalparks #nps100 #burroughs #burroughs mountain

High Skyline Trail // Mt. Rainier National Park

Hiked 08/14/16

10 miles total

Great views of all the peaks today from the top - Mt. Adams on the left, Mt. Saint Helens on the far right (eventually later in the day we saw a very faint Mt. Hood) and right behind us, in the photo below, Mt. Rainier.

Couple more shots of Mt. Adams below in the distance.

The photo below if from Reflection Lake - which we drove to after the hike. Too bad the water wasn't still otherwise you get a great reflection of the mountain.

#mt rainier #mt saint helens #Mt Rainier National Park #findyourpark #nps #nps100 #nationalparks #rainier #hike #pnw #explorewashington #washingtontrails

Day hike on the PCT (Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap to Upper Crystal Lake)

Hiked 07.06.16

My hiking buddy and I decided to day hike the PCT from Chinook Pass. We hiked to Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap, then down to Upper Crystal Lake and back, making it about 10 miles round trip (we think). It was pretty cool to experience a small chunk of the PCT and actually met one thru-hiker that started in Canada and was hiking the PCT all the way to Mexico.

Below is the view of Mt. Rainier from where we parked the car.

Below, the view from the start of the trail of the pass with Hwy 410.

Arrival at Sheep Lake

After a few more miles we are able to see Mt. Adams in the distance, now looking down on Sheep Lake.

We then leave the official Pacific Crest Trail and hike over the gap to see our first views of Rainier.

Looking down on Upper Crystal Lake.

We decide to hike down to Crystal Lake and eat lunch there.

Hiking back up on our way back the clouds are now starting to cover Mt. Rainier.

Last photo of the day before reaching the car.

#chinookpass #mtrainier #mountrainier #pnw #pnwonderland #pacficcresttrail #PCT #sourdoughgap #watrails #explorewashington #nationalparks #sheeplake

Mt. Rainier National Park // Sunrise Visitors Center with Guests!

Last week, my sister and husband visited us in Washington, we had to take them to Mt. Rainier! We walked the trails from Sunrise and it was a beautiful, clear day (but maybe a little too hot for my taste!). I was just glad they got to see Mt. Rainier in all her glory! :)

#mt rainier #Mt Rainier National Park #findyourpark #nationalparks #hike #washington #explorewashington #explorewa #pnw #pnwonderland

Summerland Trail / Mt. Rainier National Park

Hiked 7/23/2016

Fremont Lookout /around Sunrise / Mt. Rainier National Park

Hiked 7/16/16 about 10.5 miles total

Our plan was to hike to Fremont Lookout only, but when the view was completely cloudy we decided to add on more miles and trails around Sunrise to hopefully see more of the mountain. It was mostly cloudy the entire time but we did see peeks of Rainier.

#mt rainier #Mt Rainier National Park #findyourpark #rainier #MtRainier #pnw #washingtontrails #explorewashington #livewashington #washington #hike #fremont lookout

Rialto Beach - Olympic National Park

July 15, 2016

Today we drove the entire Highway 101 around the Olympic Peninsula - but the one place I wanted to stop and visit in the Olympic National Park was Rialto Beach. It was cloudy while we were there but that just made it even better. My kind of beach.

My favorite part was the huge massive drift wood.

Crystal Lakes Hike - Upper Lake

Hiked: 07.02.2016

First glimpse of Mt. Rainier on the way up

Upper Crystal Lake - amazing clear water!

We decided to hike up further - past Upper Crystal Lake to get better views of the lake from above and to see Mt. Rainier

Oh Rainier, you always have a cloud covering you... but at least we saw a little bit of her behind the peaks there...

Again, on the hike back down below is our last glimpse of Rainier - as usual hiding behind the clouds... But this hike was amazing and we will be back this summer to hike it again.

#MtRainier #rainier #Mt Rainier National Park #upper crystal lake #crystallakeshike #hike #livewashington #washingtontrails #explorewashington #pnwlife #pnw #pnwonderland #findmypark

Ira Spring Trail to Mason Lake Hike

6/25/2016

#iraspring #iraspringtrail #masonlake #hike #washington #wanderwashington #explorewashington #explorewa #pnw #snoqualmiepass #foggy

Cannon Beach, OR

11.1.15

Dave needed to do a drive test today so we headed out to the Oregon Coast to Cannon Beach.

The iconic Haystack Rock in the distance.

Brave wind surfer in the photo above.

Can I live in one of these houses, please??

#haystackrock #cannon beach #oregon #exploreoregon #oregon coast

Mt. St. Helens Summit - Monitor Ridge Route

10.17.15

Hiked Mount Saint Helens last weekend and it was soul crushing. We bought our passes about 4 months ago. The day started out good weather wise - over cast with no rain. But about half way up it started off and on raining and then of course once we reached the summit standing at the edge of the crater it was side ways rain in full cloud with no surrounding views of the mountains or inside the crater. And it was freezing cold. But we still made it to the top!

Total hike time with stops: 9 hours (about 4,600 ft gain in elevation) 10 miles roundtrip

It was a long day. So not as many photos as I would have like to have after hiking the volcano, but an experience I will always remember. And glad I was physically able to do it also. Definitely not what I have hiked before - so many boulders and scrambling - I wish I took more photos of the rocks. Oh well.

The first 2 miles are through trees and gives you a false impression of what is to come..

Finally reaching timberline with our first sights of the bare Monitor Ridge. Still not realizing we will be hiking up that and over for a LONG time.

Oh, yes, and hiking up over that in the distance....

After finally getting up on the ridge, these were the best photos I could get of the vast views behind us. I wish the weather wasn't so bad - these photos do no do it justice.

My last photo the day before the weather turned foul. One last look up to the top - looks easy right? Well that took about 2 hours of walking through ash and dirt. Maybe you can see the tiny people in the photo.